Have you ever wondered why February is shorter than all the other months? It’s a bit of a mystery, but we can thank the ancient Romans for this oddity. Let’s dive into the story of how our calendar came to be!
A long time ago, the Romans used a calendar that had only 10 months. These months were either 30 or 31 days long, but they didn’t add up to a full year. Their year started in March and ended in December. This is why some of our month names, like September (which means the seventh month), don’t match their position in the calendar today.
Then came a king named Numa who was a bit superstitious. He decided to change things up by removing a day from all the even-numbered months and adding two new months at the end of the year. However, Numa’s calendar was only 355 days long, which meant the seasons didn’t match up with the months. To fix this, the Romans tried adding a whole extra month after February 23rd, but it was too confusing for people to follow.
When Julius Caesar became the leader, he made some big changes. He moved January and February to the beginning of the year and added 10 more days to the calendar, making it 365 days long. But, to make everything fit, February ended up with just 28 days.
Even though February is the shortest month, it has some interesting features. Every four years, we have a leap year, and February gets an extra day, making it 29 days long. This helps keep our calendar in sync with the Earth’s orbit around the Sun.
So, next time you look at a calendar, remember the fascinating history behind February’s short length. It’s all thanks to the Romans and their attempts to make sense of time!
Imagine you are an ancient Roman! Design your own calendar using the original 10-month system. Use paper and markers to draw each month, and decide how many days each month should have. Share your calendar with the class and explain why you chose those lengths for each month.
Get into groups and act out a scene from King Numa’s court. One of you will be King Numa, and the others will be his advisors. Discuss why you think changing the calendar is important and how you might solve the problem of the seasons not matching the months. Present your scene to the class.
Work in pairs to solve a puzzle about Julius Caesar’s calendar changes. You’ll receive a mixed-up calendar with missing days. Your task is to rearrange and add days to make it a complete 365-day year. Once completed, explain how these changes helped align the calendar with the Earth’s orbit.
Research why we have leap years and how they work. Create a poster that explains the concept of leap years and why February gets an extra day every four years. Include fun facts about leap years and present your findings to the class.
Create a quiz for your classmates about the history of February and its unique features. Include questions about the Roman calendar, King Numa’s changes, and Julius Caesar’s reforms. Host a quiz session in class and see who knows the most about February’s fascinating history!
Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
“Apparently, whoever invented calendars really disliked February. I mean, why is February shorter than all the other months? We can blame the Romans. The first Roman calendars had 10 months, each with either 30 or 31 days, which did not add up to a full year. We can still see traces of that ancient calendar in the names of the months. Their year started in March and ended in December, and they simply didn’t count the extra days.
Then, a superstitious king named Numa removed a day from all the even-numbered months and added two new months to the end of the calendar. However, Numa’s year was only 355 days long, which caused the seasons to get out of sync with the months. The Romans tried adding a whole leap month after February 23rd to align the seasons, but that was difficult for people to keep track of.
When Julius Caesar was in charge, he moved January and February to the beginning of the year and added 10 days to these months to finally total 365 days. Unfortunately, that meant February was left with just 28 days.”
February – The second month of the year, which has 28 days in common years and 29 days in leap years. – February is the month when we celebrate Presidents’ Day in the United States.
Calendar – A system for organizing and dividing time, often into days, weeks, months, and years. – The ancient Egyptians used a calendar based on the cycles of the moon.
Romans – The people of ancient Rome, a civilization that began on the Italian Peninsula. – The Romans built impressive structures like the Colosseum and aqueducts.
King – A male ruler of a country or region, often hereditary. – King Tutankhamun was a famous young pharaoh of ancient Egypt.
Numa – Numa Pompilius was the second king of Rome, known for his wisdom and religious reforms. – Numa is credited with adding January and February to the Roman calendar.
Julius – Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman who played a critical role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic. – Julius Caesar reformed the Roman calendar, creating the Julian calendar.
Caesar – A title used by Roman emperors, starting with Julius Caesar. – The title “Caesar” became synonymous with Roman emperors after Julius Caesar’s rule.
Leap – To jump or spring a long way, to a great height, or with great force; in terms of time, it refers to an extra day added to the calendar every four years. – A leap year has 366 days instead of the usual 365 days.
Year – A period of 365 days (or 366 in a leap year), starting from January 1st to December 31st. – The Earth takes one year to orbit around the Sun.
Days – Units of time consisting of 24 hours, from midnight to midnight. – Ancient civilizations used sundials to measure the passage of days.
